Vault-closure.



FERDINAND UNGKRICH, OF GALION, OHIO.

VAULT-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed April 18. 1907. Serial No. 368.912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND UNCK- nIoH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Vault-Closure, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to vault closures, and is particularly useful in connection with devices of this class intended for locking and hermetically sealing grave vaults.

The object of the invention is to rovide a simple, strong and durable vault ciosure by means lof which the vault opening can be 1securely locked from the outside and which drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the inner face of my vault closure showing the locking mechanism in an operative osition; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part o the invention showing the locking mechanism in an inoperative sition; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the liiie 3 3 ofl Fig. 2, showing the4 closure locked in position upon the vault opening; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the locking mechanism in position, hermetically to seal the vault opening 5 and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a detail.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention it should be understood that it is desirable in many cases tol provide grave vaults and the like with strong, durable and hermetically sealedclosures for the openings thereof to prevent unauthorized, admission to the vaults and to insure the preservation of' the contents of the same. l provide a vault closure comprising a door-plate adapted to seat againsta door-frame; the plate and the frame are preferably of steel, iron or the like.

The door-frame may be secured at the vault opening by means of bolts or rivets, or

in any other suitable manner, depending upon the construction of the vault, whic may be of metal, stone-work or the like. Slidably mounted upon the inner side of the door-plate are bolt members which can be rejected toward the edges of the door beiiind the lateral anges of the door-iframe, thereby locking the door in positionagainst the frame. The bolt members are projected by means of a rotatable cam having'lobes engagingwith the bolt-members to thrust them outwardly toward the edge of the doorplate when the cam is rotated. A key-bolt member is arranged near the center of the door-plate and has a threaded part located in a suitable threaded opening in the cam member. The key-bolt presents a square head at the outer face of the head by means of which the operating mechanism may be actuated through the 'aid of a suitable wrench or Spanner. A frangible member cor'nprising preferably a soft metal plug serves to secure the cam member to the key member, so that when the latter is rotated the cam is similarly actuated to project the bolts.

When the bolts are projected to the limit ot' their movement the rotation of the cam member is resisted, whereupon the frangible member is broken. the key bolt member is free to turn in the threaded opening in the cam member, whereupon the cam is forced outwardly from the face of the door-plate and carries with it by means of a projecting shoulder the bolt members. By thus forcing' the bolt members outwardly the door-plate is clamped against the door-frame to effect the hernie-tical sealing of the vault openings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a vault having an opening with the door-frame 3 arranged therein. The door-frame 3 has an inwardly disposed flange 4 and is secured in place by means of screws or rivets 5. Seating against the doorframe is a door-plate 6 having a projection 7 adjacent to the edge'and presenting a curved surface 8. The projection 7 extends all the way around the door-plate.

The outer face of the door-plate may-bek provided with the usual central'boss 9 and strengthening ribs 10. A key-member 1,1 is carried xby Athe door-plate andy has a squared head 12 projecting beyond the outer face thereof. has a threaded part 13 extending beyond the inner face of the door-plate,` and it is furthe' When this takes place.

The key-member 11 E 110 .'1'5'f201a'nd the shoulder 14 are provided lateral recesses in which is located a .metal lug 21 constituting afrangible" -membexya apted. normally to 'connect'y the andA the lkey-member and to."l secure v'them together.

- Bolts22 are slidably mounted upon the inner faceoftlie door by means of suitable guides and are movably seatedon thev rojecf tion7 of thedoor. The bolts are. pre erably triangular i-n form andhave toes'23l at the' pides' adjacent to the edges of the door, the.' exes of the' triangles extending toward 'ie center of thedoor-plate and presenting rounded edges 24 and shoulders 425. The 8 6 bolts' are cut away near the middle lpozions 'to' form guide-bars 26 arranged in guides 27 carried by the door. The guides are formed by plates 23 riveted vto the door face and having laterally disposed ilanges 2 9. 'lhel .bolts 22 have slots 30 in which are located 'projecting lugs 31fcarried by the door and lntegral' with 'the projection 7. Arranged between the door and the end of the slots30, "'arehelical s rin s 32 which force the bolts '-ia'wayfrom the e ge of thedoor towards the center thereof. The lugs 31 have trans, versely projecting ins' 33 adjacentfto the outer faces ofthe olts, adapted to retain' the same in position. The\pins33 are ar M 'ranged substantially in alinement with the rproJections 7and arethus adapted to serve as Yulcrums when the b'olt' members are :rocked upon the projections 7 by the movements of the cam member awayfromthe 'doorlfaceL The o eration-loimyinvention isas follows: Beforethe closurel is placed in position' upon the opening -of the vault,the bolts are di'g'zlwninto -the'position shown in Fig. 1, the dog 1 9 being lifted from engagement with the ratchet 17 necessary, to rotate -the key' member in the reverse' direction to the lock--v movement. In the positionindicated in Fig.' 1 the shouldersof the lobes 16 of the. cam rest the shouldersof thev bolts. The door is thenplaced in position with the` edges-seatinga t the flanges ofthe door-g asket 34 being partlandthesaid bolts towards said frame, and or orcing frame. 1 le laced be. tweenthedoor# ameand the edgle ofthe have been' .sho

/hermetical seahng of the vault opening,` the lead gasket 34 bein feswjji rcurved edges 24 ofthe 'bolts toeect the. out-'3 Ward movement of f thesar'rie-v ainst the reg-g 'I'o en thebolts Ome as r-farjas ossible fthe sistance of ther 32. j ends ofy the bolts. extend. afjtonslderable 'tance behind the flange 4o f.;the'door-fiamme:

thereby' securelylocking4 the door. in positionj' upon. the' door-fraz'ne;1A The key-'member is @further rotated. in; the 4same directio'n--an'd as the resista ceincreasesthejfra "ble-nieln-4 ber 215e no lon er withstand t e shearingmovement of the.. key-member. forces? the' camoutward fromitheface ofj't-he dooreplate owing. to 'the' arran 'eni'ent'ofv thegthreadedr similarly threadedfopening-in 851v` the. cam. Astheeamlis forced away from the door itcarries withit by means of the. shoulder 17, Vthe. inner eiidslf ofthe bolts,.' rockingthe same`- uponlthe projection 7 y against-the pinsv 33 as ulcl'ums;'in.co1 1.se 90'- uence, the outer extremities l.oftheboltst e toes 23--are clamped against the flange 4. thereby tightly. ldrawing .the .door against thedoor-fr'ame,V and in this way effecting a- 95 g jammedbetween `the door and the 'door-frame; v A. retaining-plate 35 is mounted upon'the cam 15 by means o f a screw 36 and extends laterally" over the inner .ends of the bolts. The plate 35 serves to hold the inner ends of the bolts in osition upon the door.

Having t us described 4my invention, I claim as new and desire to securefby Letters Patentz--v f i 1. 4A vault closure, comprising a door adapted to seat against a door-frame, bolts movably mounted on said door, an operatin member formed in sections to proJect sai bolts, a frangible member connecting said lsections and ada ted to be broken when said bolts are forced ome, and means for clamp- 'ing said'bolts against vsaid .frame `by a continuous movement of said operating member. 2. A vault closure,. 'comprising av door adapted to lseat against a-door-rame, bolts carried by said door, and a'key-member havin anv initial movement adapted-toproject sald bolts behind said frame, and having a secondmovement adapted' to clamp said bolts against said-frame.

- 3; A vault closure, comprising 1a' door adapted to seata ainstadoorvframeVslid-" able bolts, meansv or successively ro'ecting f saidv bolts into an inclined. position with-re`` spect tol the .face 'of said'doorfto' clamp said.

.bolts said frame.

'41.4. 1 vault. slome, rc.empfang a. "dr-f adapted to adm-frame.

Vable bolts carried b vsaid door, a key member mounted u pon sai door, a cam carried by said ke member and adapted to project said bolts w en said keymember is operated, said key member having means controlled by its movement for clamping said bolts when the said cam awa frangible mem er is broken, and means for latter are projecting against said door-frame. 5. A vault closure, comprising a door adapted to seat against a door-frame, slid-l able bolts carried by said door, a key member movably mounted upon said door, a cam car-l ried by said key member and adapted to project said bolts toward the ed e of said door, 'said key member 'serving to clamp said bolts against said door-frame when said bolts are projected, and means` for locking said key' member against momntum in one direction. 6. A vault closure,' comprising a door adapted to seat a ainst a door-frame, slidable bolts carried y said door, a rotatable key-member, a cam comprising alobe ada t-y edv to project said bolts, a frangible mem er connecting said key-member and said cam, said cam having a shoulder engaging said bolts, means carried by said key for fo cin from said door when sai normally to force said bolts toward bolts an having teeth and constituting a ratchet, and

a dog carried by saiddoor and adapted to engage said ratchet to prevent the rotation of said cam in one direction.

8. A vault closure, comprising a door adapted to seat against a door-frame, guides secured to said door, bolts slidably mounted in said guides and having slots jin their outer ends, said door having lugs arranged to extend through the respective slots in said bolts for guidingsaid bolts, means for projecting said bolts and for clamping the same against said frame, and a spring in said slot tending said 0R- erating member.

adapted to seat Aagainst a oor-frame and havin a rounded projection, guides secured to sai door, bolts seating on said projection 'and slidably mounted in said guides, said bolts having slots at the outer ends thereof, said projection having lugs integral therewith and arranged to extend through the respective slots in said bolts, said 'lugs havin projections adjacent to said bolts to hold t e same in dposition, means for projecting said frame, said projections of said lugs constituting ulcrums, and 'splrings in said slots between said lugsl and t e ends of said slots and tending normally to force said bolts toward said operating member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name-to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.V

FERDINAND UNCKRICH.

Witnesses:

W. J. GEER, JOSEPH KING.

I .55 9. A vault closure, comprising a door for clamping the same against said 

